Separable heat pump and water heater

ABSTRACT

A water heater device with an integrated modular heat pump is described. The water heater device has an insulated glass-lined casing for storing water to be heated. One or more resistive heating elements are provided in the casing for heating water. A cold water conduit introduces water in a lower portion of the casing and a hot water conduit extracts hot water from an upper portion of the casing. Detachable supports are provided to support the modular heat pump in close proximity to the water heater. The refrigeration system of the heat pump has a condensation coil having a refrigerant conduit in heat exchange relationship with a water circulation conduit to heat water in the water circulation conduit pumped from the lower portion of the casing through a supply conduit and returned to the casing by a return conduit. Detachable couplings are provided to easily detach the cold water conduit, the hot water conduit and the supply conduit and return conduit when repair and maintenance require it.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to water heaters, particularly but notexclusively, to domestic hot water heaters to which is integrated amodular heat pump and wherein the two are easily separable from oneanother for maintenance, repair or interchange.

BACKGROUND ART

It is known to integrate heat pumps with domestic hot water heaters andthis usually results in complex devices integrated together in a singleunit. A disadvantage of such integrated devices is that because domestichot water heaters utilize glass-lined casings, their life span isusually short and when such becomes defective it is necessary to effectexpensive modifications or to change the entire integrated unit. Also,maintenance of integrated systems can be expensive depending on itsstructure. Accordingly, there is added service cost when usingintegrated hot water systems and this cost can sometimes obviate theprojected economical advantages of such systems. Such advantages includelower electrical energy consumption as it is less expensive to operate acompressor than the electrical resistive elements of water heaters.Also, the refrigeration system provides cool air conditioning.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is a feature of the present invention to provide a water heaterdevice with an integrated modular heat pump which substantiallyovercomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.

Another feature of the present invention is to provide a water heaterdevice with an integrated modular heat pump and wherein this waterheater and heat pump are interconnected by detachable coupling means todisconnect the modular heat pump from the water heater for replacementor servicing of the water heater or the modular heat pump.

Another feature of the present invention is to provide a water heaterdevice with an integrated modular heat pump which is more efficient andless costly to operate than stand-alone hot water heaters havingresistive heating elements.

Another feature of the present invention is to provide a domestic hotwater heater having an integrated modular heat pump mounted on the topwall of the heater by detachable support means as well as detachablecoupling means communicating with supply and return conduits for theheat pump provided in the reservoir of the hot water heater.

According to the above features, from a broad aspect, the presentinvention provides a water heater device with an integrated modular heatpump. The hot water device has an insulated glass-lined casing forstoring water to be heated. One or more resistive heating elements areprovided for heating water in the casing. A cold water conduit isprovided for introducing water in a lower portion of the casing. A hotwater conduit is provided for extracting heated water from an upperportion of the casing. Support means supports the modular heat pump inclose proximity to the water heater device. The modular heat pump has arefrigeration system including a condensation coil which has arefrigerant conduit in heat exchange relationship with a watercirculation conduit to heat water in the water circulation conduitpumped from the lower portion of the casing through a supply conduit andreturned to the casing by a return conduit. Detachable coupling means isprovided for detachable connection of the cold water conduit, the hotwater conduit, the supply conduit and return conduit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be describedwith reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the integrated water heater deviceand modular heat pump constructed in accordance with the presentinvention;

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawing, there is shown at 10 a water heater device,herein a domestic hot water heater device. A modular heat pump 11 ishereinshown mounted on the top wall 12 of the hot water heater 10 bydetachable supports 13. The supports 13 are provided with a quickdisconnect coupling 13′ in a lower part thereof.

The domestic hot water heater 10 has an insulated glass lined innercasing 14. Water is introduced in the casing by a domestic cold waterinlet conduit 15 and released through a dip tube 16 connected thereto ina lower portion 17 of the glass lined casing 14. Hot water is extractedfrom the upper portion 18 of the casing, where the water is the hottest,by a hot water outlet conduit 19. Resistive heating elements 20 and 20′are used to heat water in the upper and lower portion of the glass linedcasing. The glass lined casing is also insulated by an insulating foammaterial (not shown) introduced in the space surrounding the innercasing and the outer shell 21. All this structure is well known in theart.

As hereinshown, the modular heat pump 11 is provided with arefrigeration system including a condensation coil 26 which has arefrigeration conduit 26′ in which is circulated a compressible gas,such as Freon. The refrigeration conduit 26′ is in contact with a watercirculation conduit 27 in which cold water from the casing 14 is fed bya pump 28 which is secured to a supply conduit 29 connected to a diptube 30 whereby to extract cold water from the lower portion 17 of thehot water heater 10. This supply conduit 29 is secured to the dip tube30 by a detachable coupling means, such as coupling 31. As the coldwater circulates through the water circulation conduit 27, it is in heatexchange with the hot gas in the hot refrigerant in the conduit 26′ andis heated. The refrigeration conduit 26′ and the circulation conduit 27may be concentrically mounted, as for example, for heat exchange.

The heated water from the water circulation conduit 27 exits thecondensation coil 26 through a hot water supply conduit 32 and is fed toa further dip tube 33 which terminates inside the glass line casing 14at approximately two-thirds (⅔) distance from the upper part of theinner casing 14 in a region where water is at an intermediatetemperature whereby to introduce hot water from the heat pump. Ofcourse, the hotter water propagates towards the top of the casing. Theconduit 32 is secured to the dip tube 33 through another detachablecoupling 34. Also, the cold water conduit 15 is secured to the dip tube16 through a further similar detachable coupling 35 and the hot wateroutlet conduit 19 is also connected to the top portion of the innercasing by a similar detachable coupling 36 over the top wall of theouter shell 21. It is pointed out that the detachable couplings 31, 34,35 and 36 are connectors capable of being removed and re-engaged by atrade person whereby to easily disconnect the modular heat pump from thewater heater for the replacement or servicing of the water heater or themodular heat pump, if there is a need to disconnect them. Accordingly,the modular heat pump is a stand-alone unit easily disconnectable fromthe hot water heater 10. The connectors 31, 34, 35 and 36 may bescrew-type connectors or connectors that are soldered to the conduits15, 19, 29 and 32, if such conduits are made of copper. Any suitablequick connection means is contemplated for easy detachment.

Because of the separable connections of both the hot water heater andthe heat pump, when the glass liquid inner casing 14 is defective, a newhot water heater 10 is replaced by the disconnection and re-connectionof the quick connectors. The previous hot water heater can then berecycled as only the inner casing needs to be changed.

As hereinshown, only basic elements of the integrated modular heat pump11 are illustrated. As hereinshown, the refrigeration system includes acompressor and an evaporator coil 41 through which ambient air is pushedthrough by the fan 25 whereby cooled dehumidified air 42 is expelled inthe space where the heat pump is located or in conduits to convey it toother spaces in a building or outside. The refrigeration system alsouses an expansion valve 43 feeding the condensation coil 36. Suchrefrigeration systems are well known in the art.

It is also foreseen that the supply conduit 30 may be located exteriorlyof the hot water heater such as illustrated by phantom lines 30′ andeasily disconnected from the inner tank by a suitable fitting (notshown) but obvious to a person skilled in the art.

A controller module 50 is also provided to monitor water temperaturefrom temperature sensors 51 and 52 located at predetermined locationsinside the inner casing 14 to monitor water temperature therein. Such isrequired to control the operation of the modular heat pump and theresistive heating elements 20 and 20′ of the inner casing 14 to satisfyuser settings. A control pad 53 interfaces with the controller andpermits a user person to set the mode of operation of the system.

It is within the ambit of the present invention to cover any obviousmodifications of the water heater device and integrated modular heatpump as illustrated and described herein. For example, although themodular heat pump 11 is hereinshown resting on the top wall of the hotwater heater by disconnectable supports 13, it is also foreseen thatsuch modular heat pump can be suspended from a ceiling or attached to anadjoining wall. Also, all of the conduits 15, 19, 29 and 32 may beflexible conduits as now commonly utilized in plumbing and provided withappropriate quick disconnect connectors to connect to the hot waterheater 10. Although the hot water heater 10 is hereinshown with tworesistive elements, a third resistive element could be incorporatedinside the casing depending on the performance required for the supplyof hot water, such as in commercial applications and wherein the hotwater reservoir may be of a larger capacity.

We claim,:
 1. A water heater device with an integrated modular heatpump, said water heater device having an insulated glass-lined casingfor storing water to be heated, one or more resistive heating elementsfor heating water in said casing, a cold water conduit for introducingwater in a lower portion of said casing, a hot water conduit forextracting heated water from an upper portion of said casing, supportmeans for supporting said modular heat pump in close proximity to saidwater heater device, said modular heat pump having a refrigerationsystem including a condensation coil, said condensation coil having arefrigerant conduit in heat exchange relationship with a watercirculation conduit to heat water in said water circulation conduitpumped from said lower portion of said casing through a supply conduitand returned to said casing by a return conduit; and detachable couplingmeans for detachable connection of said cold water conduit, said hotwater conduit, said supply conduit and return conduit.
 2. A hot waterheater device with an integrated modular heat pump as claimed in claim 1wherein said detachable coupling means are connectors capable of beingremoved and re-engaged to disconnect said modular heat pump from saidwater heater for the replacement or servicing of said water heater ormodular heat pump.
 3. A hot water heater device with an integratedmodular heat pump as claimed in claim 2 wherein said connectors arequick-type screw connectors or soldered connectors capable of beingdisconnected and re-connected by a trade person.
 4. A hot water heaterdevice with an integrated modular heat pump as claimed in claim 1wherein said supply conduit is a dip tube extending in said glass linedcasing and having an inlet end disposed in said lower portion of saidcasing to draw cooler water therefrom, and a pump associated with aconduit section connected to said dip tube exteriorly of said waterheater.
 5. A hot water heater device with an integrated modular heatpump as claimed in claim 1 wherein said supply conduit is disposedexteriorly of said casing and has a lower end section disposed in saidlower portion of said casing to draw cooler water therefrom, and a pumpassociated with said supply conduit.
 6. A hot water heater device withan integrated modular heat pump as claimed in claim 4 wherein said pumpis located inside said modular heat pump.
 7. A hot water heater devicewith an integrated modular heat pump as claimed in claim 5 wherein saidpump is located inside said modular heat pump.
 8. A hot water heaterdevice with an integrated modular heat pump as claimed in claim 1wherein said return conduit is a dip tube extending in said glass linedcasing and having an outlet end disposed at a level of approximately ⅔from a top end of said tank.
 9. A hot water heater device with anintegrated modular heat pump as claimed in claim 1 wherein saidrefrigeration system further includes a refrigerant loop having acompressor for increasing the temperature of a refrigerant gas pumpedtherethrough in said loop, an evaporator coil and a fan to convectambient air across said evaporator coil where heat from said ambient airis absorbed by said refrigerant and cooled dehumidified air isexhausted, heated refrigerant at an outlet of said evaporator coil isthen expanded by an expansion valve and fed through said condensationcoil to heat water circulated in said water circulation conduit.
 10. Ahot water heater device with an integrated modular heat pump as claimedin claim 9 wherein there is further provided a controller to monitorwater temperature in said casing and to control the operation of saidmodular heat pump and the operation of said one or more resistiveheating elements to satisfy user settings.
 11. A hot water heater devicewith an integrated modular heat pump as claimed in claim 1 wherein saidsupport means is a disconnectable support secured to a top end of saidwater heater device.
 12. A hot water heater device with an integratedmodular heat pump as claimed in claim 1 wherein said support means is asupport secured in close proximity to said water heater deviceindependent therefrom.
 13. A hot water heater device with an integratedmodular heat pump as claimed in claim 1 wherein said water heater deviceis a domestic hot water heater.